2009 In Review

A little personal tradition that I've maintained since I was 15 years old is to choose, on New Year's, one song, one movie, one book...

A Small Victory (or Merry Christmas to Me)

Tonight I am celebrating my own personal victory over the rigors of teaching English in a foreign country. After an extremely hectic 3 1/2 m...

Hello Demon Kitty

Ms. Tennessee went home to the U.S. to visit family over Christmas, and the small adorable kitten she acquired last month was sent to Quagmi...

The Little Nazi & The Big One

"The big one is hungry!!" the Little Nazi exclaimed, pointing at the poor 12 year-old girl who is, in fact, very large. The Big On...

A Day In The Life

Last night I set my alarm, which is also my cell phone, for 8 am, and then I curled up in my sofa bed with the book "Alexander II"...

Friggin' Cold

If you think about it, meteorologists are the only people who can be wrong 70% of the time and still keep their jobs. That's why they...

Girls Of The World

There's a lot of hype about how western women care only about career and money. There's a lot of complaining about so-called man-hat...

Meet The Parents

Yesterday was Katerina's birthday, so after work I met up with my friend Sasha at the Red Whale shopping mall in Mytischi (Krasnyi Kyt),...

Pearl Harbor

"Yesterday, December 7th 1941 - a date that will live in infamy- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by...

7-11 Anonymous

In Korea, we used to drink at 7-11s. I used to love drinking outside a 7-11. Every 7-11 would put a few plastic tables with chairs in its pa...

Thanksgiving & Vodka

On Saturday Ms. Tennessee hosted a Thanksgiving dinner/party, which was attended by Americans, Russians, an Australian, a Brit, a Canadian a...

The VVTs

At the VDNKh metro station on the orange line are the VVTs (ввц). This sprawling park was known in Soviet times as the Exhibition of Economi...

Curiosities

I got bored and didn't have anything to post. Wonderpants, Ms Australia and I went to a pub in Mytischi called "The Temple Bar...

Bistro! Bistro!

Not wanting to remain unable to communicate in Russia, I have started to learn Russian using a variety of means. Last year, while I was stil...